Exposed Roots
by smartkid37
Summary: Tim has been a parent to his seven month old son for only one month, with his parents living next door to him, when, he discovers that his parent's marriage is not all that it appears to be - and that the years of silence between himself and his father - have done much more damage than he'd ever realized and have come with a terrible price. Sequel to "For the Love of Christophe
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**_Although this is not the one I wanted to write next - due to the challenge it was written for- it became the one I **needed** to get done 1st._

_I beg your indulgence as I skip ahead in our chronicles - I hope to go back and write the 1st two I had planned to write - soon._

_And now - here's another chapter in what will become "Christopher's Chronicles"._

* * *

_March 27, 2009_

Fifty- one days. Seven weeks . That's how long ago, Tim McGee's world had been severely rocked with the shocking phone call from an adoption agency, asking him if he consented to giving up all rights to a son, he'd never even realized he'd had. When the anger had begun affecting his work, the truth had come out. It turned out that the girlfriend who'd stolen his mail and taken out credit cards in his name a while back had given birth to his child six months ago without ever telling him. The whole pregnancy and birth had taken place while she was in jail after Tim pressed charges against her for the fraud. When handed this information, his Team Leader and Teammates immediately stepped up for him and helped him rearrange his life and even their own, to make room for the very much loved and wanted then six month old Christopher McGee

In the days leading up to the baby's permanent placement with Tim, his team helped him find a house and get it ready before the Court date for the final Judicial Degree that would give Tim legal and permanent custody of his son. Abby and Ziva had done all the baby supply shopping necessary with the relish of expectant Aunts, happily brandishing Tim's credit cards for the occasion. Tony, Jimmy and Ducky had helped Tim do the muscle work of getting Tim moved into the house and unpacked. Gibbs, meanwhile, had delegated himself to the task of building the baby's furniture, piece by piece, beginning with the crib. Through it all, they'd grown closer as a family unit that also worked as a team on the job.

Thirty days. That's how long it had been since Tim McGee's life had been turned upside down – in a very good way when he'd been officially granted custody of his son. Gibbs, in a surprising move, had given Tim two weeks off to get the baby settled into a new schedule that would coincide with the working schedule of his single parent. Those two weeks had been a godsend and had been put to very good use, with hours spent bonding with the baby and getting him used to the other people in Tim's life as well as Jethro, the German shepherd that, even with the rocky start to their relationship, had come to be very important in Tim's life.

For the past two weeks, since returning to work, Tim had attempted to do it all with the least amount of help possible, solely because he felt that's what he was supposed to do. Single parents managed all the time, he'd reminded everyone. With smiles of understanding, they'd all stepped back and let him work through it, knowing he'd ask for help if and when he needed it. After all, he'd made Gibbs that promise before Christopher had even been permanently placed into his custody and as they all knew, Tim never broke his promises.

Now here it was, the first Friday night, he'd had off since going back to work two weeks ago, and already, he was bone tired. It had been a rough two weeks with back to back difficult cases and they were all feeling the strain. Luckily, they had the weekend off. Remembering his mother's words from earlier in the afternoon, Tim McGee smiled down at his seven-month old son Christopher now, where the baby lay safely snuggled in his winter outerware and wrapped in a warm blanket to ward off the cold as he lay against his chest. With his protective arms securely around the joy of his life, the young man traversed the stone pavement walkway Gibbs had thoughtfully laid down just two weeks ago, between Tim's yard and the yard next door that belonged to his parents who had just moved in a month ago to be near their new grandson.

_Bring me my grandson, Timothy. I want him for the weekend since your father's going away with some friends of his and I'll be here by myself. You don't get enough free time to shake a stick at, yourself, so this will do us both good._

_Besides, you've barely given yourself a break from Christopher since you've gone back to work. You need this. Just come on in when you get here since I'll be up in our Little Darling's nursery, putting away his new clothes Sarah, Penny and I just bought him today before those two left town together for the weekend."_

Smiling at the enthusiasm and unparalleled love the female members of his family and even his team members at NCIS had continuously bestowed on his son since Christopher's permanent placement in his custody, just four weeks ago, Tim carefully took one hand off the baby and opened the door to his parents' house, quietly closing it behind himself as he stepped inside. Soundlessly, he climbed the stairs, making sure to use the handrail with his free hand while still holding the little tyke securely against his chest with the other. Making his way down the hallway once he'd topped the stairs, Tim only managed to take a half-dozen steps before the sound of his father's' raised voice coming from the nursery further down the hall, stopped him in his tracks.

"Why the hell not?" Charles McGee's voice boomed loud, clear, and unmistakably angry. "I'm sick and tired of living this lie, Meg! You and I both know the only reason we stayed married was so you could have your comfortable life without causing a scandal for me with my job because, after all, you needed me to go up in ranks in the Navy to keep you provided for, right?"

"No, Charles! I love you! I always have! Why can't you see that? I'm sorry you hate it here and I'm sorry you don't want to patch things up with Tim. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you!" Tim's mother's voice carried almost plaintively through the air.

"Love me?" The Navy Commander scornfully asked. "If you'd loved me the way you were supposed to all these years, you would have made sure your son did every _single_ thing I ever told him to do. THAT'S what a loving wife does! But, instead, you went behind my back, conspired with my mother and encouraged him to find his own way – do whatever he wanted with his life! What kind of wife does that?"

"The kind who's also a mother who loves her children, Charles!" Tim's mother replied tearfully.

"Well, then let your children keep you company, because as of tonight, I'm history, just like this farce of a marriage. I'm moving back to New York!"

"Charles! No! We moved down here to retire near our children and our grandson! Why would you walk away from them?" Meg McGee's voice was angry now.

"You know damned well, I never wanted us to move here! Why the hell do I want to spend the rest of my years in my son's backyard, watching him raise a child he has by someone he didn't even have the decency to marry and who happens to be a criminal? What kind of life is that kid gonna have? Damn son of yours couldn't take the advice of his own father, what kind of father is that gonna make him? I tell ya, I'm not gonna stick around and watch that kid suffer at the hands of that stubborn fool who's too incompetent to take care of him and won't listen to a word I say!"

"Charles!" Mrs. McGee was outraged at her husband's words of cruelty regarding their son. "You haven't _said_ anything to him in over three years!

"Why the hell should I have wasted my time talking to him? Come off it, Meg! We both know he's never done anything worthwhile in his life! He's not fit to raise a child and you know it! He can't even make good decisions for himself for cryin' out loud!"

As Christopher began stirring in his arms, amidst his parents' raised voices, Tim soothed him quietly and turned back to the stairs, going down them as quickly as he safely could while holding the baby he hoped would go back to sleep. Even as he kept going, his parents' continued fighting filled the air around him.

"Charles Allen McGee! I won't let you talk about Tim that way! It's not even true! You've always taken your disappointments in life out on him. Always blaming him when you two had nothing to talk about with each other, as if it was his job to keep you happy and follow in your exact footsteps! Well, I won't let you blame him for any of it anymore or for following his own path! He's not the failure you make him out to be and he never has been!"

"Oh, yes he is! He's all you and I ever fight about, too! Always has been! So while you're so busy getting attached to that baby of his; you might want to take a minute and relay the message to your son that thanks to him, his parents are breaking up the perfect picture!" The Commander instructed coldly. "I for one, will not sit here for another day, watching him be a contented single father with a less than decent job while you constantly fill his head with bogus praise for supposedly being a standup guy! I meant what I said, Megan! Expect to hear from my lawyer by the this time next week!"

"He's our son and he deserves to be loved as much as Sarah!" Tim's mom argued back angrily. "But you…"

Barely able to see straight for the unexpected blurriness in his vision, Tim somehow managed to escape from the house undetected. With the comforting warmth of his daddy's chest still supporting him and strong arms still holding him securely, little Christopher contentedly settled back into his nap as Tim reached the bottom step of the front porch. Once there, he froze, feeling momentarily lost and uncertain as the emotions that had infused his nerve endings blocked out his ability to think straight. Surprisingly enough, his feet soon seemed to move of their own accord.

Even as Tim carefully lowered himself down into the chair on the back porch deck he'd reached several minutes later, the baby did not stir, giving Tim reason to breathe out a sigh of relief. Settling himself comfortably in the chair and gently beginning to re-adjust his hold on the baby so that the little tyke was more comfortable, Tim was startled to feel the baby being lifted away from him.

As he immediately opened his mouth to protest, he almost as quickly snapped it shut when he found himself looking straight into the eyes of his son's honorary grandfather, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who now held Christopher as protectively as Tim had just done

"Hey, Boss." Tim greeted quietly as he breathed out a sigh of relief, this one deeper than the last.

"Sit" Gibbs replied gruffly as with a look Tim by now knew meant the older man was on the job with the baby, his boss silently took Christopher into the house and settled him into the portable crib now set up in the living room for him. Tim smiled softly as he remembered Gibbs showing him the crib the day after Christopher was permanently placed with Tim.

"_Don't wanna be runnin' up and down the stairs with him. Specially if he's only visitin'._

Seeing Gibbs come back outside carrying two coffee mugs a mere two minutes later, had Tim's smile still locked in place even with his heart laying in pieces around him. He silently accepted the mug he was handed, drinking from it to soothe his nerves, although he couldn't help but notice his hands trembled as he lifted the cup to his mouth.

"Thought he was spending the night with your mother." The older man opened the conversation quietly since he could see his agent was more than a little upset about something.

"He was." Tim replied quietly. Almost on cue, his cell phone rang with the ring tone Gibbs knew Tim had attached his mother's phone number to. Just to be sure, the young man quickly looked at the caller id. _'Mom' _With a deep sigh of sadness, Tim pushed the button to ignore the call, set the ringer on silent and put the phone back in his shirt pocket_._ There was no way he could talk to her right now. He wasn't even sure he could talk to her anytime soon.

Tim wasn't angry with her, far from it. He hurt for her so badly and felt so responsible that he couldn't even think of facing her without feeling sick to his stomach.

"Since when do you ignore your mother's calls, McGee?" Gibbs asked quietly but with a touch of authority, even as he noticed the guilt steadily taking root in the young man's eyes "What's going on?"

"It's all my fault." Tim spoke quietly before sipping his coffee. His gaze was still fixed firmly out to the scenery so it seemed as if he wasn't addressing anyone in particular. "All these years."

Gibbs sat down in the chair next to him to try and to prod the young man for answers. He could see that this wasn't one of those times Tim was assuming blame that wasn't his because he couldn't let go of something that was eating at him, like he was prone to do. This guilt was genuine and had obviously been placed there by something big in his life, something that had been goin on for a long time, judging by what little the young man had just said.

"What is?" Gibbs asked with genuine encouragement in his tone.

"All those years of fighting" Tim's answer was so quiet that it almost broke from whatever pain he was feeling.

"Your parents." The older man surmised.

"Now they're getting divorced. He's leaving her." His agent's voice remained quiet, almost as if he were simply stating the weather conditions, with the exception of the tremor within it underneath the strength he was obvious determined to hold onto.

"Tim." Gibbs breathed out sympathetically.

"And it's all my fault." The young man reiterated before he took a minute and drank the rest of his coffee down and set his cup down on the table beside him. "Always has been."

"Why would you believe that?" Gibbs asked calmly to draw out the details, despite wanting to head slap his agent for such thinking.

"Because he said so." Tim finally blinked and brought his eyes to the space between them for a heartbeat or two before looking directly at the man he counted on more than anyone else in his life, to tell him the truth and to set him straight when he needed it and tell him what he needed him to hear. "My father said so."

Getting to his feet, Tim shuffled towards the house after keeping the sliding door as quiet as possible as he closed it behind himself, obviously needing a minute alone.

Gibbs watched him walk inside and stop to watch his baby sleep. Reaching out, Tim stroked his son before withdrawing his hand and wiping his hand across his eyes. With sagging shoulders, he retreated further into the room where he could no longer be seen from the back porch.


	2. Chapter 2

Before he could even get up and follow his troubled agent, Gibbs' cell phone rang and he answered it quickly so it wouldn't wake Christopher, despite not wanting to start up the habit of keeping all noise from him when he slept. "Yeah, Gibbs."

"_Leroy, it's Tim's mom. Have you seen him? He was supposed to bring the baby to me for the weekend. His car's there but they're not. He's not taking my calls either."_

"They're here."

"_Did something happen?"_

"You could say that. He overheard you and the Commander fighting." The Team Leader didn't pull any punches.

"_Oh, no!" _Mrs. McGee was clearly devastated at the thought of her son having been caused any pain._  
_

"Give him some time, Meg." Gibbs calmly urged her in hopes of keeping her from acting on her emotions before she'd had time to calm down.

"_He's upset."_ She was quick to catch on to what he was saying without words, since she'd begun to get to know him over the past month and understood his way of speaking without many words.

"Yeah." Gibbs' response was quiet, still sympathetic to his agent's reasons for being upset.

"_He must have heard his father say…"_

"That everything was his fault? Yeah, he heard that." The Team Leader agreed. "My guess is he heard a lot more than that."

_"Oh, no! Oh, Leroy, he must be so devastated! Charles is always so ruthless when he's angry. But, this time; oh, the things he said this time…!"_ Tim's mother cried sadly, as her broken heart came through loud and clear in her tone.

"If you talk to me, I might be able to help him work through it." Gibbs suggested in a way that spoke more of asking permission than demanding she do so.

_"Tim always speaks so well of you and I can see he thinks the world of you. Maybe it would be best if you did know. Why don't you bring Christopher to me and give Tim the break I wanted to give him for the weekend and we can talk about it then?"_

"I think Tim needs to be around his son right now." The Team Leader advised calmly.

_"Alright."_ She replied quietly_. "You're more than welcome to come over here so we can talk."_

"How 'bout I buy you a cup of coffee instead?" Gibbs offered calmly, knowing it would be less troubling to Tim if the boss weren't seen going in and out of his parents' house while things were on such tremulous grounds in the family.

_"That would be lovely."  
_  
"C'mon over. We can sit on the front porch. If you don't mind the chill in the air." Gibbs suggested, wanting them both to be available to Tim if he decided he was ready to talk, or in the case of his mother, ask questions. He was also concerned that the young man not have reason to possibly think the boss and his mother were talking behind his back or at the very least, keeping him out of the loop on something very personal.

Flipping his phone shut, he slipped it into his shirt pocket and headed inside to check on the young McGee men who'd come to him for either solace or help. What exactly Tim had been looking for, wasn't clear, but it was good that the young man had been able to get the gist of his problem off his chest since it put things on the right course to be sorted out. Noting with a smile that the baby was still sleeping peacefully, the older man continued on further into the house, heading to the kitchen.

In the doorway to the kitchen, Gibbs stopped short as his eyes came to rest on Tim, currently standing in front of the sink, staring out the window, a cup cradled in the palm of one hand while the other hand remained wrapped around the handle. As the older man watched for a minute now, Tim continued staring out at the side yard without any sign of being aware of anything around him. Needing to get the coffee started but not wanting to startle the young man, Gibbs cleared his throat before going straight to the coffee maker and starting to take care of brewing another pot, opening the conversation as he did. "You alright?"

Blinking, Tim came back to the present and glanced at the older man. "Yeah, Boss. I'll be fine. Thanks. Thank you for letting me just show up here like this, too." Turning away from the window, he glanced at his watch and frowned. "I'd better wake him up now or he won't sleep tonight."

"I'll be out on the front porch talking with your mother." Gibbs told him outright with his unspoken invitation to come and talk, clearly included even as he held on tight to the urge to head slap his agent for even thinking for a moment that he needed to thank Gibbs for being able to come to him the way he had.

"Thanks, Boss. I'm sure she needs to talk to someone who isn't responsible for her pain and suffering." Tim replied quietly as he walked out, heading to the living room to wake up his son.

Frowning, Gibbs found and set up a small dinner tray with the coffee pot on a warmer and two cups and headed out to the front porch to sit and talk with Tim's mom. Maybe she could figure out how to help get Tim past this guilt and back to the joy of being a parent himself.

Tim breathed out a ragged sigh and forced himself to put everything he was feeling back behind the steel door of his mental ability to ignore it and move on with life. He had a baby to take care of, a mother who was now suffering through the breakup of her marriage because of him and a job to do with a team of people that depended on his skills on the computer when the weekend was over. He couldn't afford to wallow in this or let it get him down, no matter how responsible he was. Bending over, he scooped Christopher up and spoke soothingly to him as he gently woke him up and got ready to change him and bundle him back up to take him home.

Mentally thanking Gibbs for the foresight of having a plentiful supply of baby changing supplies close by the crib, he set about changing the little one, focusing all his attention on talking to the baby while he cleaned him up and put a clean diaper on him. Fastening his snow suit back up on him, Tim then picked him back up, wrapped him back up in the blanket he'd been in earlier and hoisted him up against his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go see Gramma McGee and Granpa Gibbs." Tim cooed to him, watching Christopher's smile at the mention of the names he was fast becoming accustomed to hearing.

Tim knew his mother and Gibbs wanted to talk and he didn't want to intrude on that but neither did he want to outstay his welcome here; feeling more than ready to go home to his own place now that he'd gotten the freshly dealt guilt out in the open with the help of the one person he now felt most comfortable letting his private self be open with. He was grateful that in the four weeks his parents had been settled here, next to him and across the street from Gibbs, his mother and his boss had bonded over their roles as Christopher's grandparents, both biological and honorary, alike.

Even so, there was a part of him that knew it was time to leave Gibbs alone because the man had his own history of pain and suffering with losses within his own family and it wasn't right to burden him with this. After all, it wasn't as if someone in Tim's family had died. Keeping that comparison in mind, helped Tim keep things into perspective as he began wading through this mental minefield now, one step at a time.

Briefly, his thoughts turned to talking to Tony. The older man had become a great big brother once he'd toned down his pranks and jibes to less than cruel within the last two years and he had stepped up phenomenally as Christopher's Godfather. But he wasn't someone Tim felt comfortable talking to about this; especially given that he had his own personal traumas regarding family, judging from what little the older man had spoken of them. Ziva, too, had her own family pains were such that she never discussed it so she was also someone he didn't want to burden by talking to her. Ducky's own mother was in the midst of a horrible battle with Alzheimer's and the elder man most definitely did not need to be drawn into anyone's family drama as such that this was. In short, Tim knew he'd have to carry this one alone, that he'd done all the sharing of his problem that he was going to.

Walking out to the front porch, he was surprised to find his mother trying to hide her tears from Gibbs as they sat talking. With her face turned away, her hand wiped at her eyes, breaking his heart anew at the sight. As his own sight became blurred, he cleared his throat and walked up to her, causing her to rise to her feet and reach for the baby immediately. Tim shook his head as he wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her to his free shoulder, whispering into her ear as he did. "I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me some day."

As he pulled back from his mother, he kissed her on the cheek as she lavished Christopher with attention and kisses. With a soft smile, Tim secured the baby in his arms as he turned away, glancing at Gibbs with abject gratitude and a softly spoken, "Thanks, Boss" before striding slowly down the porch to the steps before walking down to the street and heading back home without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony DiNozzo flipped his phone shut, staring at it in disbelief as he replayed the conversation he'd just had in his head once more for good measure.

"DiNozzo"

_"Tony. You still plannin' on goin' to that game tonight?"_

"No, Boss. I gave my ticket to a buddy of mine who wanted to take his girlfriend for her birthday. Why, what's up?"

_"McGee."_

"What's wrong with him? Something wrong with our newest man of the tribe?"

_"Baby's fine. McGee could use the company. Matter of fact, probably could use the lot of ya's."_

"Team Night at McGee's?"

_"Good thinkin'."_

"It's almost a weekly thing now, anyway." His Senior Field Agent reminded him.

_"That's right. Good idea, then."_

"What's goin' on, Boss?"

_"Not mine to tell, DiNozzo."_

"But you do know."

_"Make sure he eats, will ya?"_

"Sure, Boss."

_"Oh, and if you do get him drinkin', Tony, you call me."_

"Sure Boss. Wait, are you tellin' me to get him drunk?"

_"Not what I said, DiNozzo."_

"Ah. I get it. Don't worry, Boss. I got this."

_"I know."_

The click on Gibbs' end of the line hadn't been a surprise as much as the conversation itself had been. _Probie needed the team but it had nothing to do with Christopher? On top of that, Gibbs was worried that Tim wouldn't eat and worried that the guy would get sloshed if he got to drinking tonight?_

Hell, the fact that the boss was worried and not even trying to hide it was enough to get Tony's feet moving. Blowing out a deep breath, Tony glanced at his watch. It was still early enough in the evening that he could still catch Ziva, Jimmy and Abby and get them to drop their plans to be there for their teammate and friend. Picking up his phone, he dialed the most important number first.

"Yeah, I'd like to order three large pizza's…Wait, better make that four."

******NCIS******

Watching her son's Team Leader put his phone away after hearing his end of the conversation with his Senior Field Agent, Meg McGee frowned. "You really think Tim will want his team to keep him company tonight?"

"He will." Gibbs reassured her calmly.

"There was a time that I would have sworn that you didn't know my son at all." Her quiet words shocked him since he hadn't been expecting them.

Still he did what he could to keep his face from showing any emotion as he answered her. "And you would've been right – before he found out about Christopher." His voice carried a touch of regret as he looked her straight on.

"That was the turning point? Sounds like before you had that in common – you were comfortable not knowing him as a person." She surmised sadly, her eyes filled with as much sadness as her tone.

"Yeah. That's about the size of it." He admitted quietly as he glanced at her before sending his eyes across the street to his agent's house, seeing the lamp in the living room window come on.

Seeing where the older man's eyes were fixed, Meg couldn't help but smile softly. "And yet my little boy has always trusted you with his life on the job." She observed almost dryly.

Gibbs nodded silently as he drank his coffee. Settling back against the porch swing, he huffed out a breath and answered her. Almost reverently. "I know."

"Thank you for not letting him down, Leroy." She smiled at him with a mother's gratitude.

"Oh, I've let him down plenty, Mrs. McGee." The Team Leader was quick to admit so she wouldn't keep him on the pedestal she seemed to have him on.

"Not to hear him tell it." Mrs. McGee smiled softly.

Gibbs found it hard to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. With the heart-wrenching weight of Tim's trust in him being handed to him on a silver platter like this, he suddenly felt almost too small for the task. Blinking hard to clear his vision, he cleared his throat and did what he could to get them both past this moment. "You've already told me happened tonight. Is there anything else you think I should know that might help?"

Now it was Mrs. McGee's turn to be speechless for a moment. Here was a man who not only worked with her son, but guided him and protected him in the dangerous job they had and now he was asking for her help to help him on a personal level, too. Blinking away her blurred vision, she finally spoke. "Well…."

*****NCIS*****

With one phone call from Tony, the team was soon on their way to Tim's house as if they'd been called by the boss himself. Tony and Abby arrived at nearly the same time and parked in Gibbs' driveway, one behind the other; each getting out and waving to the man when they saw him sitting on his porch with Mrs. McGee. Having suspected the boss would be close by, the Senior Field Agent had come prepared and now proceeded to take the top box off the stack of pizza's he pulled out of his car and set on the trunk before he bounded up the porch steps with it. "Here ya go, Boss. Hello, Mrs. McGee."

"Hello, Tony." Tim's mother greeted him with a soft smile as she also greeted Abby who'd joined Tony on the porch.

"Thanks, DiNozzo." Gibbs offered gruffly as he accepted the pizza and set it down so he could turn and embrace Abby while giving her his trademark kiss on the cheek."Hey, Abbs."

"No problem, Boss. Well, guess we'll go terrorize the probie now." Tony glibly threw out there with a grin too wide to miss as he waited for Abby to get her standard gestures of affection from the boss.

"DiNozzo." The boss' unspoken warning underneath the growl didn't go unnoticed as both Tony and Abby grinned before heading back down the steps and over to their teammate's house.

*****NCIS*****

"Is it just me or was that strange, Abbs?" Tony asked as they walked down Gibbs' driveway together

"Maybe." Abby replied right away. "Definitely different. Although technically, the definition of different has changed for us since Timmy became a daddy, so, I'm not even sure 'different' is the right word, either, still..."

"Abby! Focus!" Tony growled only half-serious as they crossed the street and traversed Tim's driveway where Ziva and Jimmy were just getting out of their cars. "You're right, but still, Gibbs and Probie's mother talking after the boss called for us to come keep the probie company and to make sure the geek eats?

"Perhaps McGee has had some bad news delivered to him, Tony." Ziva solemnly entered the conversation without any humor in her tone as the former two young people reached the new arrivals.

"Whatever it is must be bad for Gibbs to suggest McGoo probably needs all of us." Tony revealed.

"What else did he say when he called you, Tony?" Abby asked worriedly as she bit her bottom lip in apprehension.

"That it wasn't his story to tell." Tony replied. "Typical Gibbs."

"Typical or not, Tony. It sounds serious." Ziva surmised as they approached their teammate's door.

The Israeli raised her arm and reached for the doorbell, only to find the door being opened for them already by a tired looking but curious Tim, holding an awake and happy Christopher who immediately chortled at the sight of them, the sound of which brought smiles to all their faces


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, guys. What's the occasion?" Tim asked quietly as he stepped back to let them in.

Abby immediately reached for the baby as Tony answered the question. 'Thought we'd come bother you for a couple of hours, steal your kid from ya, ya know, that kind of mundane stuff."

Tim let go of Christopher but immediately felt his loss as the baby happily settled into the Lab Rat's arms. Deliberately stomping down on that emotion, he failed to successfully hide his suspicion from his expression as he voiced what he was thinking. "What's this really about? After the week from hell we've all just had, why would you give up your chosen ways to decompress to come here?"

Tony had seen the flicker of sorrow that crossed Tim's eyes when Abby had scooped Junior away from Daddy McGee and he didn't miss the disbelief in his partner's tone now. Deliberately ignoring the question, he held up the pizzas and jovially shouted out: "Pizza! Who wants pizza?"

Happily settled into the easy chair with her little cuddle buddy, Abby made no effort to join the group as they went about digging out paper plates and napkins so they could enjoy the pizza without making a mess for Tim to have to clean up. Tim hadn't moved from the living room doorway, himself, watching almost forlornly as his former girlfriend enjoyed some bonding time with his son. Tony watched with a frown as Tim became more and more unhappy, judging by the look on his face, at the time Abby was spending with Christopher.

Knowing this wasn't normal for his teammate, Tony refused to let his attention stray from his friend, now determined to find out what was going on with him. "Hey, Probie. Want a beer?"

The quietly asked question coming from Tony who'd come to stand beside him in the doorway, surprised Tim. He managed to stow away his surprise and answer his teammate calmly. "No. Thank you, Tony."

"You okay, man?" Tony took the opportunity to ask.

"I'll be fine. Why? Did Gibbs call you? My mother?" Suddenly, Tim's expression was daring Tony to do anything but answer the question honestly.

Tony's eyes narrowed as he interpreted his little brother's sudden need to know why they were here. "Gibbs. He was worried about you being alone tonight. Wanna tell me why that is?"

Tim blinked in an effort to clear his eyes before he softly shook his head. "Like I said, Tony. I'll be fine. I really appreciate you all coming over here, though. Why don't you drag out some of those board games Abby and Ziva snuck into their shopping trip with my credit cards last month? We can make a game night of it."

Not sure what to make of the way Tim had turned the conversation completely away from what was wrong, Tony stood there speechless for a minute before mentally head slapping himself into moving, all the while his eyes took in his probie currently taking Christopher back from Abby and disappearing from the room with him, headed in the direction of the stairs leading up to the second floor of the house.

*****NCIS*****

A short ten minutes later and the group had eaten their fill of pizzas and were now setting up the first board game, chosen by vote – Life – as if they all wanted to get away from the real one for a minute and enjoy the one depicted in the game. Abby and Ziva helped Jimmy set up while Tony went in search of the still wayward Tim.

It wasn't but a moment before he found him sitting on the bottom step of the stairs with his back against the railing, playing quietly with Christopher as they blew raspberries at each other and played peek-a-boo through their connected hands. Smiling at the picture they presented while the baby chortled and wriggled in Tim's arms, Tony stood and silently watched for a minute. Knowing Tim needed the interaction with his team to help pull him over whatever this hurdle was, the Senior Field Agent forced himself to interrupt the playtime as he approached the pair.

"Hey, First game's getting' started. We need you in there."

Looking away from his son for a moment, Tim sighed. "Okay, I'm coming."

"What's goin' on Probie? You hidin' out from us just to play with him? You don't have to do that."

Tim was quick to shake his head. "No. This has nothing to do with you guys. I'm sorry. Guess I'm not thinkin' too clearly tonight."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not buyin' that nuthin's wrong. But, we'll let it slide for now. C'mon. Let's go play before they come hunt you down. AND you need to eat some of that pizza!"

"Okay. Let me just change Christopher first, then we'll be right in."

*****NCIS***  
**

Three hours and four board games later, Abby was declared the winner of three out of the four and Tim still hadn't relinquished his hold on his son or eaten a single bite of food. To Tony's consternation, he hadn't even shown the slightest interest in letting someone else hold Christopher so he could eat or throw back a beer or two with the others. He'd put his game face on and played with them without any sign of there being anything wrong.

None of them missed the unusual relentlessness about Tim's holding on to the baby or the way he hadn't even glanced at the food or beer. While he was usually very willing to let the team share in holding and changing Christopher when they were together like this, tonight, no one even asked for the privilege after having seen the way he'd taken the baby back from Abby and hung on to him since then.

Exchanging concerned glances, the team said their good nights, pleading the need for sleep and headed out, as a group, minus Tony. Tim thanked them all with a quiet genuine graciousness as they left, extending the invitation to make it a more regular happenstance if they wanted and promising to be better company the next time. As the door closed behind the group, Tony slipped back into the kitchen to start the cleanup from the impromptu pizza party, not wanting to leave Tim with it.

While that was something new for Tony, he knew if he left the mess, Tim's mom would rip him open about it, albeit privately. Since the Senior McGee's had moved in next door, the team had gotten the opportunity to get to know Tim's mother and sister better, although McGee Senior had been a tough nut to pin down for a visit; much less crack open for a talk or two. Tony often wondered why Tim's father never seemed to be around when they went over there with Tim for a visit or a dinner, which was becoming a once a week thing now.

Everyone on the team came to the dinners, including Gibbs and that in itself had opened the door for the fabric that knit their team together becoming even stronger than before, although any mention of the absent Commander seemed to invite an aura of stress and discomfort for the McGee clan; that was, until someone dispelled it, usually Abby or Sarah with a joke or a anecdote. After it happened a second time, the team seemed to realize that it was permanently taboo and no longer mentioned it.

Once that uncomfortable goof had been overcome, Mrs. McGee had even begun talking of having a second weekly dinner, without the M.E. or the boss, to give the younger set a chance to unwind without the pressure of having to be quite so careful of what they said or did. The suggestion had brought a look of shock on Tim's face, while bringing smiles to everyone else's. Overall, it had been a priceless moment and Tony found himself liking his probie's mother and looking forward to those nights.

But for now, his thoughts were focusing once again on his probie. It bothered Tony that the younger man had been so obviously upset about something that his outlet had only been to hang on to his son as if the child was the life preserver Tim needed him to be. Hearing the shuffle of feet as they came his way now, the Senior Field Agent looked up to see the man in question appear in the doorway, his arms empty for the first time that night. "Thanks for helping with the cleanup, Tony. You didn't have to do that."

"No sweat, man. Better to do this, than get your mom pissed for leaving you with it."

"What, you really think I'd rat on you?" Tim asked in shock.

"You wouldn't have to, man." Tony smirked as he tied up the trash bag and turned his attention to wiping down the now empty counters. "Moms just know these things. We all know that."

Tim laughed softly. "Yeah. That's the truth." His eyes grew sad and his expression serious. Turning away, he spoke over his shoulder to his friend and teammate. "I'm gonna go check on Christopher."

"Probie, you finally put him down just ten minutes go. He's fine." Tony tried to reassure his retreating friend to no avail. Frowning, he dug out his phone, knowing the boss would want an update and needing a little guidance himself.

_"How'd it go, DiNozzo?"_ Gibbs got straight to the point he wanted answered.

"Something's definitely going on with him, Boss."

_"Talk to me."_

"He wouldn't eat and he wouldn't put the baby down all night. Even took him back from Abby after just a few minutes of her playin' with him. Once we noticed that, Ziva didn't even attempt to hold him. 'cause she didn't want to upset him by having him refuse. And Boss, you know there's something wrong there. Tim always lets the girls take care of Christopher when they're around him."

A deep sigh could be heard over the phone line. _"You headin' out now?"_

"Maybe in a few. He's checkin' on Christopher now, even though he only let go of him like ten minutes ago. I don't wanna just disappear on him."

_"Appreciate the update."_ The phone line went dead and Tony quickly stowed his phone away, tossed the dish towel down on the counter and went in search of his friend.


	5. Chapter 5

It was no surprise that Tony found Tim sitting in the rocking chair Gibbs had made for Christopher's room, watching his son peacefully sleep after a night of being entertained by a group of adults who put the fun in board games. The only thought that crossed his mind when he found the younger man there, was that he really needed to help Tim get this sorted out and soon.

Even with just four weeks of being the baby's Godfather under his belt, Tony had matured since taking on the role; since being told why he couldn't be given the role two weeks before that really. When Tim had first told the Senior Field Agent why he couldn't ask him to be that for Christopher, it had been obvious that Tim had hated to take that hard line with Tony, but he'd been right to do it. With the older man's reputation and track record of chasing women and partying, it had been likely that he'd be nowhere near a suitable choice, in the eyes of the courts, who at that time, still had the right to deny Tim his son since the mother had placed the boy with an adoption agency from the day he'd been born and Tim was having to prove his readiness before they'd be satisfied he was up to the task of raising his son.

Where Tony used to joke and jibe first and worry about repercussions later, now he thought first and did it twice before opening his mouth, most of the time, anyway and almost always around his little brother who, he now knew thought more of him than he'd sometimes earned. That realization in itself had mellowed Tony almost more than anything else. Now he could be trusted and more often than not, was, to be there for not only the baby but for Tim as well; a fact that Tim was most grateful for.

Now, at the end of a team game night with no more idea of what Tim had on his mind that had him more than a little morose and holding on to his son more than usual, Tony watched him continue to gently rock himself in the chair while staring at the sleeping baby tucked into his crib. Finally, he couldn't stand not knowing any longer since it wasn't helping him help his friend.

"McGee."

The serious tone of Tony's voice penetrated the fog that had surrounded Tim since he'd come in here to watch Christopher sleep a few minutes ago. Blinking, the younger man looked at his teammate with the unspoken question in his eyes.

"Talk to me, man. What's going on with you?"

"Not something I want to dump on you, Tony." Tim replied with a quiet directness Tony hadn't quite been expecting. "In the bigger picture, it's not life threatening, so…"

"So, it's still important to you, so I wanna know." Tony pushed while doing his best to keep his voice down.

Tim must have sensed how hard it was for Tony to rein himself in because he got up and headed out of the nursery and on down the stairs to the backyard where he opened up the porch door and stepped out onto the deck, knowing Tony would follow him outside. Only when the two of them had reached the backyard, did Tim answer his big brother's question.

"Ever had a situation where you just knew everyone you cared about was hurting and you knew it was all your fault but there wasn't a damn thing you could do to change it or make it right? Couldn't even take the hurt away that your actions caused?" Tim's voice couldn't hide the emotion behind his words; emotions he'd fought all night to shove into hiding.

"Yeah, Probie. I think we all have at least once in our lives." Tony tried to empathize.

Tim shook his head. "Not like this, Tony."

"Talk to me, man. Not like what?"

Tim silently stared out into the darkness beyond where his backyard was lit by the porch lights. He hadn't wanted to open up to anyone like this. In fact, he'd wanted to bury and move on before it brought any more pain to his mother by him speaking of it where she could possible overhear it or hear of it.

"McGee?" Tony pushed.

"I'm sorry." Tim replied. "I already said too much. I didn't even mean to say anything about it. I just ca… you're just so much easier to talk to than you used to be and you've changed, ya know. You really do care and it's obvious now."

"Yeah, Tim. I do care. So let me in, buddy."

Tim shuddered as he let out a deep breath. "This stays between us."

"Just between us." Tony promised.

"And Gibbs. He already knows"

"Okay."

"The years of silence from my dad…"

"Because you didn't follow in his footsteps. I remember our conversation about it a few weeks ago." The Senior Field Agent plugged in so Tim wouldn't have to relive that conversation now.

"Yeah. Well, turns out, those years were no different for my family even without me being there. The fighting – between my parents – went on anyway." The younger man admitted with guilt and anger mixed together. " Guess I was wrong – all these years I thought the fighting had to have stopped once I left home. No one ever said a word to me about any of it after I left."

"Maybe they were tryin' to save you the hurt, Probie." Tony suggested wisely.

"And the kicker is – that fighting …arguments every time Dad came home from wherever he'd gone for the Navy. Every episode of it…" The younger man continued on the roll he'd started on and didn't seem to be able to stop.

"Had to be tough to hear about." His teammate offered.

"Was about me." Tim finished as if Tony hadn't spoken because he was lost in his train of thought. Always was and now…"

"Now what, Tim?" The older man asked in hopes of dragging his friend past this hurdle life had thrown him.

"Now Dad's leaving Mom permanently and he blames me for that too. Says she shouldn't have supported me behind his back all this..."

"Oh, man. I'm sorry." Tony breathed out sadly.

"He never wanted to move down here to begin with. Just like he never wanted Mom to support my decisions." Tim's breath caught in his throat and he had to stop for a minute and pull himself together. Thankful that Tony hadn't yet spoken into the silence, he let one more painful truth out into the open. "He told her that supporting me meant that she didn't really love him."

Tony was flabbergasted and speechless but immediately reached out to his friend to offer him some physical grounding as he clapped him on the shoulder, leaving his hand there supportively as a big brother would his little brother when hurting. Keeping his voice quiet and hopefully comforting, he tried to help. "Don't let him kick you like this, Tim."

Tim stayed still under Tony's comforting hand for a long moment, needing to _feel _that he wasn't alone in this storm, but he soon pulled away, even though a tiny smile graced his lips. "Thanks." He offered quietly before stepping back and turning back to facing the yard. "But, it's my mom I'm worried about, Tony. How can I ever look her in the eye again, knowing the pain I've caused her? I mean, c'mon! Years of fighting with her husband just so her son could make his own choices in life? And now? Now, her marriage is over because my father can't stand living next door to me for another day or spend another day trying to accept that I might be a better person than he believes me to be for having **not** followed in his footsteps? How can she even stand to **look** at me after what he admitted to her?"

"Tim, I…"

Tim shook his head again. "I don't know how I can expect her to ever be able to see me again without feeling that I took something precious from her a long time ago but she just today had to begin feeling the worst effects for real. I don't even know how she's done it all this time. And God only knows what Sarah's gonna say when she finds out."

With that sad statement, Tim took the stairs down to the backyard and disappeared into the darkness


	6. Chapter 6

Tony knew that Tim had only walked out into the darker part of the yard for the space to think because he knew, the baby monitor on the porch would alert him if Christopher needed him, no matter if he stayed in the light or not. Breathing out a sigh of frustration for what his friend and teammate was trying to sort through without letting it sweep him under, Tony stood still for a moment to do some thinking of his own.

Hearing the rustle of movement behind him, the Senior Field Agent turned to find Gibbs and Mrs. McGee standing in the shadows of the porch, both obviously having heard everything Tim had just said. The Team Leader was the first to break the silence. He was relieved since he knew it would take more experience than what he had under his belt to help Tim through this.

"Thanks, DiNozzo. We'll talk to him." Gibbs broke the silence as he and Tim's mother approached him under the light of the hanging porch lamp shades.

"You heard?" Tony needed confirmation that he could pass this baton without any conversation being necessary.

A silent nod from both the older people was all the answer Tony needed to confirm his suspicions. "Okay. I'll just go sit with my godson." Tony replied quickly as he took up the baby monitor and headed back inside before he embarrassed himself with sentimental expressions of regret for something that really wasn't the right thing to say here and now.

"Thank you, Tony." Mrs. McGee offered quietly before the young man disappeared completely back inside. "For everything."

Stopping long enough to acknowledge her words with a nod of his head and a small smile of both sympathy and appreciation, Tony then headed back inside, trusting the two grown-ups to look after his probie.

*****NCIS******

Gibbs removed what had been a guiding hand in the dark as they'd come from his yard to Tim's from Mrs. McGee's back and sat down on the porch swing, giving her the space she needed to make the first move in going after her son and talking to him about this guilt he had been so ruthlessly handed by his father. With a small smile of her own, directed at the man who'd been determined to help both her and her son through this minefield, she descended the porch steps in her son's wake.

Through the shadows that barely touched the outskirts of the yard, she was barely able to make out the form of her little boy, now a man with a son of his own, who right now, needed his mother, more than any other person in the world. "Tim." She spoke quietly, using the form of his name that he appreciated the most.

Turning to face his mother, as her voice reached him before her footsteps crunching down on the dry grass had, Tim almost reached for her, but held himself back. He wanted; needed her to tell him he was still, at this moment, her little boy who would always find love and security in his mother's loving arms. But that didn't mean he expected it. What he was expecting was, just as he'd told Tony, that she wouldn't be able to look at him without feeling the pain and loneliness that putting his right to live his own life before the demands of his narrow-minded father, had brought to her. Her words to him now, brought tears to his eyes, but didn't give him the okay to cross off the guilt completely

"You're wrong." Her quiet words chipped away at the wall of guilt that had been raised up around his heart. As her small hands reached out to caress his temple while she smoothed his hair back, Tim felt tears come to his eyes and hope so securely fill his heart that he felt the wall of guilt tremble under the weight of it. Still, he held himself still, undeserving of this positive show of emotion.

"Oh, Honey. None of this has _ever _been your fault." His mother's tearful reassurance tugged strongly at his heart.

Her forgiveness seemed to crest over the wall in a wave, but the guilt stubbornly refused to break completely. Too much time had been spent over the years with his parents in verbal turmoil over him and the weight of his father's conviction that Tim had yet to become someone worth anything and wasn't fit to be a father himself, alongside their pending divorce that had been angrily deemed to be his fault, far outweighed this pardon his mother was handing him.

Almost desperate to take the raw emotions her son was becoming buried under, away from him, Meg McGee pulled her son into an embrace she hoped would literally douse him with comfort and reassurance that would undo what her husband had so cruelly thrown at him. "Don't listen to your father, Sweetie. He was just angry. People say things they don't mean when they're angry."

Tim wanted to accept his mother's hug, her reassurances and her unconditional forgiveness. But, he couldn't. He hadn't earned any of it because his father had been right and he knew it. Not knowing what else to do, he hugged her back for a brief moment before pulling away enough to look her straight in the eye and reminding her of something she'd forgotten in her quest to make him feel better; she'd forgotten the truth.

"Most people. Not Dad." He told her in a voice that shook as it barely reached her. "We both know he meant it, just like we both know he's right."

"NO! He's NOT right!" Meg McGee bit out angrily now that she knew her son actually believed the garbage her husband had spewed out in the course of their argument; the argument she wished with all of her heart her son had not overheard.

"Sash. Mom. It's okay. Really. It was the wake-up call I needed. It straightened me out about a few things. Now I know not to ever bother trying to talk to him again." Tim tried to soothe her distress.

"Oh, Tim."

"And maybe someday…"

"What, Honey?"

"Maybe someday, you'll be able to _not _have to face the consequences of standing behind me instead of him." Stepping back from her enough to let her know he couldn't accept any more physical support from her, he turned to look out over the yard once more, effectively ending the conversation in the way he'd learned from Gibbs over the years.

It broke her heart to see and hear what upheaval her husband had brought about in her son's heart as she watched her boy turn away from her now. Once he'd pulled away and turned to look away from her, she'd understood the conversation was over. Never one to push her children beyond what they were willing to discuss from their own private persons, Meg McGee sighed and began to walk back to the porch, only to find Tim at her elbow, silently and protectively watching out for her as she walked.

Without breaking that silence, she turned to him as they reached the steps, kissed him on the cheek and spoke at his ear. "I have never blamed you and I never will. You're my son and I love you. Maybe someday you'll let yourself stop feeling responsible for your father's selfish narrow-minded meanness." With tears in her eyes, she stepped away from him and went on inside the house, quietly sliding the porch doors closed behind herself as she did.

Left alone with his thoughts, Tim let himself plop down on the step, unaware that he wasn't alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Still sitting on the porch swing, Gibbs had silently watched as Tim escorted his mother back to the porch and stand still to listen to what she had to say after she kissed him. Seeing the shimmer of tears in her eyes as she'd walked into the house came as no surprise to him, nor did the sight of his agent seating himself on the middle porch step. What did surprise him, though, was the unexpected disruption of his cell phone ringing and the way in which that ringing startled Tim, even while he was quick to answer it.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

_"Boss, I'm taking Mrs. McGee home and then I'm gonna split, too."_

"Okay. Thanks."

_"She wants to take Christopher home with her. Wants Probie to have some time to think without having to worry about being attuned to his every need for tonight."_

"I wouldn't. Not tonight."

_"Okay, I'll tell her. _

"Appreciate it."

_"Night, Boss."_

"Night."

Having been startled by the boss' cell phone, Tim was now aware not only of the man's presence, but also of the conversation he'd just had with Tony, since the Senior Field Agent's voice carried quite well over the phone. Getting to his feet, he climbed the few steps up to the porch and took a seat next to the swing the older man remained sitting on and smiled softly in silent acceptance to what he'd just heard.

Putting his phone away in his pocket, Gibbs looked over at his agent and felt a measure of relief at the sight of the young man looking his way with just a hint of a smile, even if it didn't reach his eyes. Before he could put any stock in that expression, Tim looked away, his posture less than erect and his silence speaking volumes of what he wasn't letting go of. Letting the younger man guide where this was going, the older man kept his silence as well as his seat on the swing.

It wasn't long before Tim rewarded the man's patience; getting up and looking over at him as he turned to head into the house. "Thank you for being there for Mom, tonight, Boss. I know it's late. You don't have to stay. I'm fine."

Gibbs cocked his head at the side angle he liked to use when invoking questions he didn't have to voice but got answers to without a sound.

Tim paused in his trek and huffed out a small laugh. "I know. I'm not getting' off that easy."

Gibbs smirked in response as he waited for the younger man to sit back down.

"Can we take this inside? I'd like to be closer to Christopher in case he wakes up."

Within a few minutes they were safely ensconced in Tim's kitchen as the young man set about making a pot of coffee strong enough for the boss since right about now he felt the need for a strong drink himself. As the coffee maker did its job, silence seemed to settle in almost comfortably between them, as had become the norm since the baby's entrance into their lives. Gone were the embarrassed moments where Tim couldn't think of what to say or where he tried too hard to fill the silence.

The uncomfortable stretches had been replaced with the matured version of who Tim had become, more willing to share what was bothering him than keep it bottled up, at least, when Gibbs included himself in the resolution process which he did sparingly, but much more than he'd ever done it before Christopher's arrival.

"What's goin' through that head of yours right now, Tim?" Gibbs asked with more of a parental tone than he realized.

Grateful beyond words for the man's efforts to help him through this, Tim respected the man's efforts by answering him honestly although he couldn't quite look at him. " Like I said earlier, Boss. I'm responsible for all Mom's pain and sorrow with all those years of fighting with Dad over stuff she'd do for me or let me do for myself."

"Why?"

"Because he told her it was my fault. I'm all they ever fought about according to him and looking back I have to admit he's right. Then again, it's like I told Mom. Dad was never one to ever say something he didn't mean, even when he was irate." Tim answered quietly as he sat twirling his spoon through his coffee, watching the liquid move around in the cup.

"Whatever it was you said to her out there, didn't make her feel any better." Gibbs warned him quietly.

"I know, Boss." The young man replied sadly as his conversation with his mother just a short time ago now replayed itself over in his head.

_"Don't listen to your father, Sweetie. He was just angry. People say things they don't mean when they're angry."_

_"Most people. Not Dad. We both know he meant it, just like we both know he's right."_

_"NO! He's NOT right!"_

_"Sash. Mom. It's okay. Really. It was the wake-up call I needed. It straightened me out about a few things. Now I know not to ever bother trying to talk to him again."_

_"Oh, Tim."_

_"And maybe someday…"_

_"What, Honey?"_

_"Maybe someday, you'll be able to **not **have to face the consequences of standing behind me instead of him." _

Seeing Gibbs frown now, Tim drew in a sharp breath and got up to busy his hands and his mind fixing himself another cup of coffee as he realized he'd spoken the conversation out loud almost verbatim. He braced himself for what he thought was the pending head slap to top all head slaps he'd ever been given by the man, but none seemed to be forthcoming.

"That really how you see it, McGee?" Gibbs unexpectedly asked from directly next to him where he'd come to stand, as he leaned back against the counter now, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah. But it's not him I'm worried about anyway, Boss. Nothing's gonna change between the two of us. I know that now." the young man admitted seriously as he glanced at the older man momentarily before looking toward the window, seeing the lit yard beyond the house. "This just proves to me that I've been wasting my time expecting it to. Now I can focus on making sure Sarah and Mom are gonna be okay. But, I also know that that's asking an awful lot of them."

"They're both strong, women, McGee." His boss reminded him quietly.

Tim nodded. "Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, Boss." His tone left no doubt he didn't consider this to be one of those ordinary times and he only held himself responsible. "Backing the wrong side for all these years has been painful and rough on both of them. And if that wasn't bad enough - now Mom ... and Sarah, God only knows how she's gonna take it...I'll be mincemeat before the lawyers have even been hired." The sardonic tone coming from the younger man lifted the corner of Gibbs' mouth into an irrepressible smirk.

Not immune to his boss' sense of humor, Tim had to smile, in spite of himself.

"You afraid of your sister, there, McGee?" Gibbs quipped as he stepped over to the coffee pot and refilled his mug before turning back to the conversation.

"Guess that depends on the situation, Boss." Tim replied only half-joking, although the pain in his eyes was still visible to the one looking for evidence of exactly how his agent was feeling about it all.

"Makes sense." The older man returned with a straight face but an unmistakable hint of humor in his tone, bringing forth another smile to Tim's face for just a minute.

Breathing out deeply, Tim straightened his shoulders and turned to head out of the room. "I really need to check on Christopher."

Instead of disputing the fact by trying to remind him that if the baby had woken up, the monitor would have picked up on his movements, the boss silently fell into step behind the young man and followed him up to the baby's room, neither of them speaking during the trek up the stairs or down the hall to the nursery.

Immediately drawn to the sight of his sleeping angel cuddled contentedly into his blanket with his favorite little beanie baby, the calico cat, Tim couldn't help but feel everything else begin to just slip away into the recesses of his mind. It was a long silent few moments before he realized Gibbs was still with him in the room. Standing here with the man who'd helped bring this about – without complaint and with much sacrifice and hard work on his part – reminded Tim that he'd never yet taken the time to adequately thank Gibbs for all he'd done.

"You've been more of a father to me than Dad has ever been, even when you weren't trying to be." Tim offered quietly as he looked the boss straight on. "Thank you. For everything"

Gibbs nodded in silent acceptance of what Tim was sharing with him as the young man glanced his way.

Almost without realizing it, Tim found himself explaining himself further. "Standing here looking at him makes me realize that I don't need to worry about what my father thinks about me anymore because he's never been there for me to begin with. But you have, even though you weren't trying to be on any conscious level. And maybe I _don't_ have to worry about becoming my father after all."

_**Thwack**_

"Ow." Tim exclaimed softly in reaction to the unexpected head slap.

"Don't ever compare yourself to him, McGee." Gibbs was practically growling even as he kept his tone quiet. "You will never be the man he should have been."

Tim frowned as he attempted to process what the boss was telling him. He didn't have too long to think on it before the older man came at him with even more of an explanation.

"You're already a better man than he's shown himself to be and don't you forget it_."_ Gibbs' eyes were fairly snapping with anger at the thought of this young man comparing himself to that poor excuse for a father of his. "Don't let anyone tell you that you won't be a good father, either. You're doin' just fine."

Unable to stop the smile from lighting his face and going all the way to his eyes, Tim had only one thing he could think of to say. "Thanks, Boss. That means an awful lot coming from you."

"So long as you believe it, Tim. So long as you believe it."

~~ FINIS~~


End file.
